Lakers experience ‘growing pains’ in first look with Big 3

The Los Angeles Lakers experienced growing pains during their preseason finale loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. The game marked the first time the team played their new Big 3 of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler together on the floor. Early chemistry issues led to multiple giveaways, including six turnovers in the first quarter and ten by the middle of the second quarter.

Despite the offensive miscues and adjusting to blitzing defenses in the pick and roll, players expressed optimism about their progress. Reaves and Kessler noted that the challenges stemmed from a lack of shared playing reps, while head coach JJ Redick insisted the team will be ready for the regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.